The selection process for rowing for the 2008 Olympic Games has several layers but falls into four basic categories. Boats are first categorized into “big boats” and “small boats” and then they are categorized into qualified or non-qualified boats.

The first step of the selection process occurred at the 2007 FISA World Championships held August 26-September 2 in Munich, Germany. This was the first opportunity for countries to qualify their boats (not individual athletes) for the Olympic Games. The U.S. qualified 11 of 14 boats at the world championships including the women’s single sculls, men’s double sculls, women’s double sculls, men’s quadruple sculls, women’s quadruple sculls, men’s pair, women’s pair, men’s four, lightweight men’s four, men’s eight and women’s eight. The remaining three boats – the men’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls and lightweight women’s double sculls – will have a second opportunity to earn a spot in the Olympics at the Olympic Qualification Regatta scheduled for June 15-18, 2008, in Poznan Poland.

Big Boats

The “big boats” include the men’s eight, women’s eight, men’s four, lightweight men’s four, men’s quadruple sculls and women’s quadruple sculls. They are selected through a selection camp process.

All six “big boats” qualified for the Olympic Games at the 2007 World Championships. The crews will be named no later than June 27, 2008.

Small Boats

The selection process for the “small boats” is more complicated. The small boats include the men’s single sculls, women’s single sculls, men’s double sculls, women’s double sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls, lightweight women’s double sculls, men’s pair and women’s pair.

For the non-qualified “small boats” (men’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls and lightweight women’s double sculls), an Olympic Trials will be held May 12-17, 2008, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. The winners of the trials then will compete at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poznan. Qualification spots at the regatta are available to the top three finishers in the men’s single sculls, top two finishers in the lightweight men’s double sculls and top two finishers in the lightweight women’s double sculls. Once a boat qualifies for the Olympics through the qualification regatta, the individual athletes must remain the same and cannot be replaced.

For qualified boats, there is a multi-step process.

For the women’s single sculls, the winner of National Selection Regatta #1 scheduled for April 4-6, 2008, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., will earn the right to race at the first or second world cup regatta. If the NSR 1 winner finishes in the top six at the world cup race, then she will be nominated to the Olympic team. If the rower does not accept her berth on the team or does not finish in the top six, the event will be opened up for trials and will be contested at the Olympic Trials for “qualified small boats” scheduled for June 9-13, 2008, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.

For the two-person events, the winners of National Selection Regatta #2 scheduled for April 25-27, 2008, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., will earn the right to race at the first or second world cup regatta. If a NSR 2 winner finishes in the top four, or in the top 50 percent if there are fewer than eight entries, at the world cup race, then the boat is nominated to the Olympic team in that event. If the boat does not accept its berth on the team or does not finish in the top four, the event will be opened up for trials and will be contested at the Olympic Trials for “qualified small boats” scheduled for June 9-13, 2008, at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.